Nosalis
Nosalis (plural: Nosalises) is a catchall term for the most common form of subterranean mutants encountered in the metro tunnels. There are numerous subspecies and variations of Nosalis, but all share commonalities: a vicious disposition, predatory demeanor, sharp teeth and claws, and a propensity for hunting in packs. Nosalises are the most common enemy of Metro 2033, and are derogatorily called "Tunnel Trash" and "Snouts" by Rangers and other veteran explorers. They are fierce predators and scavengers, extremely territorial, and highly dangerous adversaries, easily overwhelming strongpoints with sheer numbers. Morphology, Appearance, and Evolution The mutant entities known as Nosalises are noted for one trait first and foremost: No two look exactly alike. Most of them appear to have descended from creatures already existing in the underground - moles, bats, voles, and so on - but there are so many different subspecies and so many different variations of Nosalis that it is nigh-impossible to chronicle them all in a way that won't take dozens of pages. Fortunately, many Nosalises share common traits; sharp teeth and claws, extremely aggressive dispositions, and a generally humanoid appearance with lanky, longer-than-normal arms and lengthy snouts. All are accomplished leapers, climbers, and runners. They are never seen above-ground; this stands to reason as all Nosalises appear to have evolved from various subterranean species of rodent and mammal. Some of the most common subspecies are listed below: Common Nosalis These Nosalises are nearly hairless, and have a pinkish skin tone. Its jaws are wide-set, filled with uneven fangs, and its snout is large and sticks out similar to a Mole. It is quite skilled at working its way through passages and ducts, it can run along walls and crawl quite fast along the ground until it is close enough to strike. Encountered primarily early-on, they are the weakest subspecie of Nosalis, easily killed by one or two Revolver shots or a well-placed Shotgun blast. They are first encountered early on, during Hunter's return to Exhibition. This species is found all throughout the earlier levels of the Metro, until Artyom gets close enough to the center where the Dark Nosalis becomes more present. Dark Nosalis Easily identified by its extremely toothy maw, these Nosalises appear to have evolved from shrews. They are more powerful, more dangerous, and more intelligent; they can frequently be found leading packs of Common Nosalises. They take considerably more damage to bring down than a Common Nosalis; multiple shotgun shells are frequently necessary. They become more common as Artyom moves closer to the center of the Metro; it can be discerned that the creatures have their nests deeper in, near tunnels no one uses. They are first encountered in Chase - as the Nosalis that knocks Artyom off the traincart - but they won't be encountered in force until Defense, and even then they are not at full strength - they appear 1 in every 5 common Nosalis during this level and are possibly leading the packs. They appear far more often as the game progresses, each time getting slightly stronger. Massive hordes of Dark Nosalis are found on the levels towards D6, requiring the full strength of The Rangers to bring them all down, and even then its tricky. Your best tactic against them is to get them with point-blank with a Shotgun, and keeping them off of Vladimir since he lacks any Armor. Winged Nosalis One of the rarer species, the Winged Nosalis clearly has evolved from bats. It has a lengthy, pronounced nose, with a smaller mouth than other Nosalises, as well as vestigal membranes of skin under its arms hinting at wings. These versions are faster than normal Nosalises, and have the ability to jump much further. They also have the ability to unleash a powerful sonic attack; this unleashes a wave of sonic distortion that inflicts damage, causes dizziness, and can stun opponents for short periods of time. Their strengths, however, are offset by poor endurance; These Nosalises are smarter than the other species; they appear to serve as leaders and appear to direct the other Nosalis strains. They first appear alongside other Nosalises in "Defense." Plated Nosalis The most powerful - and rarest - of all Nosalis strains, the smartest, and the apparent leaders, Plated Nosalises appear starting in the vicinity of D6 and are the most resiliant of all Nosalises, taking multiple rounds from the heaviest weapons to bring low. They appear to have evolved from moles, though their armored heads seem to indicate some other source. Their namesake comes from the chitinous plates on their heads and on their backs; they generally have a more streamlined appearance than other Nosalises and are harder to pick out in the dark due to their coloration. Making matters worse, they can see perfectly in total darkness, as if they had Night Vision Goggles equipped - this makes them impossible to sneak past. They are quick enough and smart enough to conduct ambush-style attacks, frequently exiting and entering tunnels like a Lurker to attack. Fortunately, for all their strengths, they have two weaknesses; they are unable to control their predatory urges in a fight and always growl when exiting a tunnel, and their eyes, adapted for the dark, are easily flash-blinded; shining the flashlight directly on a Plated Nosalis will cause it to shrink back, momentarily blinded. Explorers are advised to take advantage of the stun effect this causes, and flee or finish the beast off. Artyom will only encounter two of these, both on the Caves (Level). The first can be tricky to take out, because it unexpectidly attacks Artyom as soon as he is seperated from the group. It will constantly leap in and out of the ceilings. Its best to corner yourself and attack it when it jumps down. The second one encountered can be completely avoided, however, if avoided, Artyom will miss out on some spare ammo and a Kalash 2012. The best way to take it out is to hit it with a sticky grenade. This wont kill it outright, but will heavily damage it. After which, just fire upon it when it attacks, with one clip doing the trick. Behavior and Tendencies Nosalises are pack hunters, but only in the simplest sense. They do not seem to have much coordination in their hunting behaviors, and instead they seem to attack in a very large and disorganized mob, favoring overwelming prey with numbers instead of using strategies. They use mass assaults to wear down enemies and frequently retreat only to come back in larger numbers. Their behavior suggests a primitive intelligence, and they seem to have a particular dislike for humanity. Fortunately for Explorers, Nosalises are not subtle. They almost invariably always come in packs of at least three, and are most notorious for their terrifying growls and screams, which often come as a signal for an incoming attack. Sometimes they are only shrieking warnings and threats - basically causing little more than horrific noises coming from the depths of the tunnels - but in many cases this shrieking presages an attack. Guards frequently take advantage of this. Several other tendencies seem to suggest that they have some level of intelligence; there is a clear heirarchy amongst them, and they seem to be able of coming up with rudimentary tactics to circumvent hostile locations. Tactics Nosalises are the most common enemies of the game, but this doesn't make them easy to fend off. They always attack in large numbers, and tend to surround Artyom if not fended off quickly enough. They are, however, rather weak and a burst of machine gun fire or a couple of point-blank shotgun blasts will kill a Common Nosalis in short order. The Automatic Shotgun is a great choice against all Nosalises; its bayonet can often bring down a Common Nosalis with one fully-readied blow. An ideal way to dispatch them would be to entrench yourself in an easily defensible position that would force the beasts to charge you from the front, not letting them surround you, and killing them as they come into your weapons' range. Choose such as position carefully, as they can leap behind you while attacking if you leave enough space, leaving a stray Nosalis free to attack you from behind. Dark Nosalises and Black Nosalises are far worse. They take considerably more damage to put down and work effectively in teams. The same tactic applies, but note that it will take more ammo to bring down a Dark Nosalis and bear in mind the Black Nosalis's leaping power and ranged attacks. Fortunately, you tend to face them when you have allies. Plated Nosalises are the worst of the lot. A few will be encountered with other Nosalises alongside the other Rangers you work with near D6, but there are several you have to face on your own - and they are a significantly bigger threat than their counterparts. Direct heavy firepower is a necessity. Attack patterns Nosalises are extremely ferocious. While they know and understand what human firearms can do, they simply do not seem to care - they recklessly charge without much regard to self-preservation. This makes for chaotic fights with many Nosalises leaping and scratching at once, where the beasts rely more on the strength of their numbers than that of the single individual to overcome their would-be prey. The Plated Nosalises encountered near the end of the game are much quicker however, and while alone, they make use of their sorroundings to try and attack you from behind. Never allow them to do so, as their attacks are quick and powerful and only a few sweeps will prove lethal, even at the lower difficulty levels. A Heavy Suit can help take the sting out of these blows, but bringing the Plated Nosalis down quickly is the best option. In the book Nosalises are not encountered by Artyom, and are not mentioned anywhere. They are probably made up (for the game) because of lack of any "light" enemies or any kind of intense firefight action in the book. Trivia *An achievement can be gained for killing 30 nosalises, titled "Nosalis Hunter". *Nosalises appear to be the most frequent enemies encountered in Metro 2033, appearing in almost all of the missions where you travel through the metro. *Of the Plated Nosalises, only a handful of them are encountered in the whole game - once or twice when alongside the other Rangers as you make your way towards D6, and 3 times that you need to deal with them yourself - making them - by far - the rarest enemies of the game. Category:Mutants